20 Plant Polycultures and Guilds

(A Sample For Northeastern USA and other temperate areas). Based on a PDF by Aaron Lemire.

Copyright 2017 AARON LEMIRE

Table of Contents

Introduction

You may have heard of food forests or forest gardens. These systems of life forms from all the kingdoms are usually tailored to the location, available resources, the goals of the gardener(s) and their management style.

In an effort to make the benefits of these systems easier to use by small scale gardeners, many people have developed, guilds, polycultures, and plant communities which “form healthy, interacting networks that reduce the gardener’s labor, yield abundant gifts for people and wildlife, and help the environment.”¹

A few of these polycultures have been collected here, along with brief descriptions, as an introduction or quick reference guide for anyone interested.

It is highly suggested that the reader also get a copy of Plant Guilds by Bryce Ruddock. It is available for free at the Midwest Permaculture website. It is also highly recommended that the reader continue researching the plants discussed in this text to gain a complete understanding of their abilities, roles, needs and dangers.

Video: Toby Hemenway discusses permaculture plant basics including designing a successful plant guild.

Video: Eric Toensmeier: perennial polyculture guidelines. Tips on designing successful perennial polycultures - the building block of edible forest gardens.

Video: Eric Toensmeier edible forest garden. A persimmon polyculture.

Preparation

For any of these polycultures to work, the necessary resources must be available. Soil, sun and water must be on hand with the appropriate qualities.

It is highly suggested that the gardener have the soil tested and analyzed by a soil testing lab. The test(s) should include analysis to determine concentrations of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic if possible. Compare the results of the soil test(s) to the requirements of the plants you intend to grow, as well as the maximum allowable concentrations of heavy metals as defined by the EPA and FDA. Information about regional testing labs should be available through a Google search, your local Co-op Extension Office if there is one, and the agriculture department of your local college.

The following are suggested chemical characteristics for a garden of annuals:

Soluble salts: Less than 2500 ppm
pH: 6-7
Organic Matter: 5-8%
CEC (Cation Exchange Ratio): 7-15 (Less than 5 is bad. CEC can be higher than 15, and that is okay.)
Cu: 0.8-1.2 ppm
Mn: 4-8 ppm
Fe: 6-10 ppm
Zn: 1-2 ppm
B: 0.5-1² ppm

¹Gaia's Garden pg. 12

²The above recommended soil chemistry and concentrations of trace elements are derived from Stacey Murphy's Online Grow Your Own Vegetables gardening course. Enrollment is avaiable about twice a year at http://bkfarmyards.com/food-growing-essentials-online- course

Heavy Metal Concentration (In Soil) Limits Per The Clean Water Act Section 503.13

Table 3 of § 503.13 - Pollutant Concentrations

Pollutant	Monthly average concentration (milligrams per kilogram) 1
Arsenic	41
Cadmium	39
Copper	1500
Lead	300
Mercury	17
Nickel	420
Selenium	100
Zinc	2800

Another set of recommended trace element concentration levels has been found. These guidelines appear to originate from a lab in Washington state; the caption references UNIBEST International LLC.

Soil texture should also be analyzed, so the gardener has an idea if other amendments are needed (e.g. plants that require a lot of water may die of dehydration in very sandy soil).

Polycultures of Annuals:

A Simple Companion Group

1. Carrots [65 DTM (days to maturity)]

2. Lettuce [28 DTM]

3. Onions [90 – 110 DTM]

"In annual polycultures, filling root space and vertical space with different plants is seen as a way to get more use out of a particular volume of space. Since the onions grow taller than the carrots, they will not be shaded too much. Since the lettuce requires less light, being shaded by the carrots will not be a problem. The root systems of the three plants grow to different depths and so should not impede each other."³

Plant these three vegetables together. Standard spacings: Onions: 4”-6”, Carrots: 1”-2”, Lettuce (leaf): 1”-3”.

³Gaia's Garden pg. 142

---

Four Sisters

NOTE: This guild works best when using corn, pole beans and squash varieties that can be stored for several months after harvest.

The guild is a synergistic combination of structures and applied ecology that can produce good yields. The corn provides a trellis for the pole beans. The sprawling squash shades the ground which suppresses weeds and lowers ground temperature if it is planted at the correct time. The beans add nitrogen to the soil. The RMB Plant can be used several ways and attracts insects which will pollinate the squash and bean flowers—thus increasing the squash and bean yield.

1. Pole Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris):

Niche: Strong, annual vine.

Habitat: Disturbed earth, water: average water needs, sun: 8+hrs.

Notable Products: Edible beans.

2. Corn (Zea mays):

Niche: Annual, Herbaceous.

Habitat: Enriched and disturbed soils.

Notable Products: Sweet corn, dent corn or a multistalked cultivar creates a trellis for the beans.

3. Sprawling Vine Squash (Cucurbita):

Niche: Ground cover, weed prevention.

Habitat: Enriched and disturbed soils. Full - partial sun, water needs depends on type of squash grown.

Notable Products: Edible Squash

4. Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata)

Niche: Nectary, insect attractant.

Habitat: Eight+ hrs direct sun, drought tolerant, disturbed soil.

Notable Products: Edible seeds, medicine, nectar, and dye.

Other Potential Companions:

Marigold – Beneficial aromatic.

Icicle Radish – Edible seed pods, said to prevents vine borer.

Amaranth – Said to be another companion to corn. Good chicken feed.

Ragweed – Ladybug attractant.⁴ (plant sparsely. Do not allow it to set seed)

Tomatillos – Edible fruit. (Purple tomatillos have been successfully used as a companion in a three sisters garden in Michigan. See MiWilderness's youtube channel for more information)

Some evidence indicates the four sisters may have been used to create food that can be stored over winter. If this is your intent, it is important to use a winter squash, beans that can be easily shelled, dried and stored; and dent/flint/flour corn.

⁴ Other ladybug attractant plants include, but are not limited to: Garlic, Geranium, Dill, Bachelor's Button, Calendula, Sweet Alyssum, Cilantro, Parsley, Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot), Tansy, Fennel, Yarrow, Coreopsis, Chives, Coneflower, Coriander, and Buckwheat

Instructions: Almost any corn variety that is fit for your region will work. However, Gaia's Garden suggests using a multi-stalk cultivar, or corn that has a history of being used in this guild, such as Hopi White, Tarahumara, or Black Aztec. Plant vining squash with dent/flint corn. A bush type squash is suggested when growing sweet corn, sorghum or whenever the stalk crop will be harvested before the squash is mature.

Mounds of dirt can be used to help keep the corn seedlings warm and aid drainage. It is therefore suggested to plant the groups of kernals at least three feet apart. If this is your first time growing the four sisters, it may be a good idea to give the groups even more space.

Plant several kernels, approximately 1" deep. To get a rough estimate of yield, it is suggested the gardener assumes a yield of 4-5 ears per group of kernels.

Once the sprouts are tall enough, start hoeing the soil into mounds around them but do not cover them completely. The mounds are meant to increase drainage and reduce the daily temperature swings felt by the young sprouts.

It is suggested to plant several kernels since the germination rate and the number of stalks that grow from each group cannot be known beforehand. If more than three stalks grow from each group, cut the smallest ones (pulling them will disturb the root system of the other seedlings).⁵

Two weeks after the corn, select a vining bean coated with the correct legume inoculant. To ensure enough beans germinate plant more than one bean per mound.”

Plant squash or pumpkins between each mound when you plant the beans. Only use a vining squash if you grow dent or flint corn. They have stronger stalks and are less likely to break if the squash grows up the stalk. Do not grow Zucchini. Consider growing bush squash if you want to be able to walk within your garden before the squash is mature.

Other than that, grow the crops by following the suggestions that come with the seeds. After harvest, leave the plant matter to rot on the ground. This should return some fertility to the soil and protect against erosion and desiccation.

* NOTE: Leaving the plant matter on soil may be a dicey move. Diseases that may have been present in the crops can reside in the detritus for some time and possibly proliferate next year. Ultimately it is the gardener's decision. Other reasons to leave the plant matter on top of the soil include: reduced creation of hardpan, reduced temperature of surface soil in warm months.

* NOTE: If the gardener is unsure of how much nitrogen is available in the soil, it may be necessary to cut 50% or more of the bean vines at the base just before they flower to ensure a large amount of accumulated nitrogen is available for the other plants. However, other sources indicate there will be nitrogen available even if the vines are allowed to fruit.

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata)

“Rocky Mountain Bee Plant has historically been used by humans as a nutritious food source, a medicinal treatment for many ailments, and as a dye for coloring fabric and pottery. All parts of the plant can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. Drinking an infusion of the plant relieves stomach ache and reduces fever. Applied as a compress, it soothes sore eyes. A yellow-green dye is made by boiling the leaves, and a black dye is made by boiling the woody stems for an extended period of time.“⁶

Bonus: A number of other plants have also been grown with the four sisters. It is suggested that the reader does their due diligence and research any companion(s) that they intend to add to the polyculture. Companions that may compete for nutrients, sun and root space may reduce yields.

⁵ This is a planting/growing method described by Gaia's Garden. There are others. Please take into account your resources when deciding on a particular strategy. I have not found a detailed account of anyone's experience growing this guild using sorghum instead of corn. If you have grown the guild with sorghum, or know someone who has, please add it and the lessons learned and post the new document. Please give the appropriate attributions.

⁶United States Department of Agriculture NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE Plant Materials Technical Note No. MT-104.

Illustration 1: A potential crop layout for the four sisters.

Ianto Evan's Polyculture of Annuals

Ianot's polyculture is similar to natural succession in that the plants grow, ripen, bloom, set fruit, and drop seed at different speeds. The polyculture contains plants of different sizes and shapes. These plants create a variety of habitats as they mature within the garden bed. They aid the development of some of their close neighbors. The attributes of this polyculture include harvestable material through several months of the growing season, reduced evaporation due to tight spacing and broad leaves, pest control via the garlic, and attraction of beneficial insects via the dill and buckwheat.

Early maturing cabbage	Lettuce (loose leaf and heat tolerant)
Late maturing cabbage	varieties)
Radish	Buckwheat
Dill	Bushbeans
Parsnip	Favabeans
Calendula	Garlic cloves

Prepare approximately 20 square feet of garden bed for each person who consumes the harvested crops.

• 30 days before the last freeze, cover the bed with 1” - 3” of compost.

• Approximately 14 days before the last freeze date: Start five cabbage plants (in cold frames or greenhouse) for every twenty square feet of the garden plot. The cabbages will be transplanted into the holes left by the first radish harvest. To spread the cabbage harvest over a longer period of time, plant early- and fall -maturing cabbage.

• Week One: (The week after the final freeze date in your area): Plant parsnip, radish, dill, calendula, and lettuce seeds. For a long harvest season, select varieties of fast and slow maturing lettuce. A group of heat-tolerant and loose-leaf cultivars can lengthen the lettuce season into summer. Several varieties to consider include romaine, butter, iceberg, Summertime or Optima. Broadcast each seed type separately over the entire bed. This should create a mixed planting. Aim for one seed for every 2”-3” square inches of space. Gently add a quarter-inch layer of compost and water with a shower nozzle or other widespread and low kinetic energy setting.

• Week Four: Harvest the mature radishes. Plant cabbage seedlings in the holes. Keep the seedlings approximately eighteen inches apart.

• Week Six: Begin harvesting the lettuce. The dense sowing of the different lettuce varieties should yield a blend of edibles when the plants are immature. Harvest the entire plant if you wish to make space for the other plants to grow. Assuming the correct lettuce cultivars were chosen and thinning continues, the remaining lettuce will continue to grow for several months.

• Late Spring/Early Summer: After the soil has warmed to 60 deg F (15C), plant inoculated bush beans in the areas opened by the, now dead, dead early season lettuce. Plant buckwheat into any other openings develop in early summer (their young leaves are edible). The dill and calendula should be ready for harvest after the lettuce (blossoms of calendula are edible). Watch for early maturing cabbages. The beans may mature in this time period as well.

• Fall: Parsnips are mature or close to maturity. If they are left in the ground too long, the root will become hard. Harvest them sooner rather than later. As autumn progresses, more space in the bed will become available. If your winter is mild, consider planting fava beans and garlic. ^7,8,9

⁷ The above polyculture is a paraphrased version of Ianto Evans polyculture as described in Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway. I have changed text and removed some warnings about alternate and inferior techniques. If you follow the directions, and water it adequately, the polyculture should grow successfully.

⁸ Could scallions or onions be over wintered as well?

⁹ I'm not sure a mild winter is necessary for overwintering garlic.

Jajarkot's Polyculture of Annuals

This polyculture starts in the Spring with a thick cover of palatable greens interspersed with slower- maturing plants. As the greens are harvested, beans and other vegetables replace them. This polyculture can yield food for 6-8 months of the year, depending on the climate zone. In the northern climates, season extension devices can be used. Spun row cover, greenhouse plastic over the bed, or cold frames can extend the productivity of the garden well into early Spring and late Autumn. ¹⁰

Cabbage	Cauliflower
Broccoli	Radishes
Chard	Lettuces
Carrots	Fennel
Dill	Coriander
Fava beans	Bush Beans
Alliums (onions, garlic, chives, leeks)	Mustard Greens Mix (Osaka, Purple mustard, tat tsoi, mizuna, garden cress, etc.)
Cool season Greens (arugula, garden purslane, and shiso). If Spring is warm, in the 80's F, also plant buckwheat.

• One month before the last frost: Spread finished compost on the garden bed. Start a few seedlings of each cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli indoors. Select a blend of varieties that will ripen over a long season.

• Week One (at the last frost date in your region): Create an edible ground cover by densely a mix of mustard greens (Osaka Purple Mustard, Tatsoi, mizuna, garden cress, and the like) and other cool-season greens such as arugula, garden purslane, and shiso. In regions where spring is warm (May temps reach 80°F 26°C), also sow buckwheat. Young buckwheat greens are delicious in salads and stirfry. Then add some salad crops. Lightly sow the seeds of radishes, chard, lettuces, and carrots among the previously sown seeds. Herb seeds go in next. Sow fennel, dill and coriander; somewhat more densely than the salad crops, since they don't seem to germinate well. Now add legume seeds to the mix. Push fava beans, bush peas or a blend of these, into the soil roughly one foot apart. Add some of your favorite alliums such as onions, garlic, garlic chives or leeks.

• Weeks two to four: Begin Harvesting the edible ground cover. Don't just trim the leaves; pull the whole plant to create openings. Take care not to disturb the young beans or alliums. Pull a few of the young herbs to thin them out; they'll make a tangy addition to salads and stews. In some of the resulting gaps, plant cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli seedlings about 18 inches apart.

• Late Spring/Early Summer: When soil temperatures reach 60°F/15°C, plant basil and bush beans in the openings. As the spring warms up, many of the greens will bolt. Speed up your harvesting of these to eliminate them before they set seed. Alternatively, if you want to naturalize these greens in your garden, let a few go to seed, then pull the whole plant and lay it on the soil to compost and reseed. Continue harvesting all the plants as they mature or crowd. ¹¹

¹⁰ Paraphrased from -Gaia's Garden pg. 146

¹¹ Reprinted from Gaia's Garden, copyright Toby Hemenway, with the permission of Chelsea Green Publishing (www.chelseagreen.com)

Polycultures of Perennials

Tree Polycultures:

Beach Plum Tree Guild

(Polycultures: Permaculture Activist Magazine February 2013, Eric Toensmeier)

Notes: This is a polyculture with flowering plum and groundcover, edible Spring vegetables, and edible Camas bulbs. Also, I don't see a nitrogen-fixer in this group.

1. Beach Plum (Prunus maritima)

This fruiting shrub can grow to over 12 feet (4m) and produces small, delicious plums.

Niche: Deciduous shrub

Habitat: Average water needs, full to partial sun.

Notable Products: Edible fruit

2. Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)

This is a beautiful groundcover that attracts beneficial insects and can be grown in partial shade and moist soils.

Niche: Groundcover.

Habitat: Requires consistently moist soil that drain, full sun to partial shade.

Notable Products: Nectar

3. Dwarf Coreopsis (Coreopsis auriculata nana)

This is another beautiful groundcover that attracts beneficial insects.

Niche: Herbaceous perennial.

Habitat: Full sun, medium water needs, said to be native to open woods in South Eastern US, so it probably can survive in a variety of soil types.

Notable Products: Nectar, pollen.

4. Ramps (Allium tricoccum)

a.k.a. Wild Leeks. Early Spring vegetables growing well in the shade.

Niche: Herbaceous perennial

Habitat: Shaded woodlands, average water needs, prefers wet and acid soils. Tolerates Juglone.

Notable Products: Edible leaves and bulbs.

5. Camas (Camassia quamash)

Edible bulbs and has flowers that attract beneficial insects.

Niche: Small Herbaceous Plant

Habitat: Full sun to light shade, prefers moist soil, pH: 5.1-7.5 (tolerates a wide range of soil conditions)

Notable Products: Nectar, pollen, edible bulb.

Paw Paw Tree Guild

(Polycultures: Permaculture Activist Magazine February 2013, Eric Toensmeier)

1. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba, perennial)

Niche: Understory Tree

Habitat: Consistently moist soil, full sun, prefers loamy and well-drained soils.

Notable Products: Edible fruit, leaf matter every fall.

2. Ramps (Allium tricoccum)

a.k.a. Wild Leeks. Early Spring vegetables and grows well in the shade

Niche: Herbaceous

Habitat: Requires at least partial shade, can grow in sandy and loamy soils, medium water

Notable Products: Edible leaves, flowers, bulb.

3. Hog Peanuts (Amphicarpaea bracteata)

Edible seeds and 'roots' which are really seeds that develop underground. Shade-loving. Climb up and sprawl out (smothering weeds), and fix nitrogen.

Niche: Vine

Habitat: Full sun to light shade, moist conditions, and soil containing sand or loam.

Notable Products: Edible beans, edible roots

Notes: Ramps will grow well under Pawpaws, and will die back just when Hog Peanuts are getting large. If you do want to go through the trouble of harvesting the Hog Peanuts, there are no other actively growing plants in that layer during harvest time. The fruiting Pawpaw will benefit from the nitrogen produced by the Hog Peanut.

Apple Tree Guild:

(Terra Genesis International)

1. Appletree (Malus pumila) (perennial)

Niche: Overstory and understory tree (can grow and fruit in some shade).

Habitat: Can survive in a variety of soils with high nitrogen and potassium resources. Average water needs. Full sun.

Notable Products: Fruit, wood, nectar

2. Dwarf Comfrey (Symphytum Grandiflorum):

Niche: Dynamic Accumulator. Shelter for insects. Nectary. Green mulch.

Habitat: Prefers full sun. Tolerates light shade (about 50%). Moist but well-drained soil.

Moisture: Medium. Some species can be more drought tolerant. pH: tolerates a wide range (6.5-8.5).

Notable Products: Sheep and chicken food.

3. Chickory (Cichorium intybus):

Niche: Nectary. Taproot. Insect shelter. Dynamic accumulator.

Habitat: Disturbed land and roadsides. Prefers full sun. Tolerates light to moderate shade.

Moisture: Medium moisture requirements. pH: (4.5-8.5).

Notable Products: Edible roots and leaves (cooked and variety dependant)

4. Wild Chives (Allium schoenoprasum):

Niche: Dynamic accumulator, nectary, Groundcover, Aromatic.

Habitat: Full-partial sun. pH: neutral - basic. Average water needs. Can grow in a limited variety of soils but does best in fertile loam.

Notable Products: Edible leaves.

5. Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata):

Niche: Invertebrate shelter. Nectary. Aromatic.

Habitat: Full sun to partial shade. Neutral to basic pH.

Notable Products: Edible greens and roots.

Anisse hyssop (Agastache foeniculum):

Niche: Invertebrate shelter. Nectary. Aromatic.

Habitat: Full sun to partial shade. Neutral pH.

Notable Products: Flavoring for tea and several medicinal uses.

6. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Niche: Nectary. Invertebrate shelter. Groundcover. Dynamic Accumulator.

Habitat: Prefers full sun. Tolerates moderate shade.

Moisture: Can tolerate dry to medium moisture soils. pH: (5.1 - 7.5)

Notable Products: Rumored to be an edible green, however, some people may have an allergic reaction to it.

7. Clover (Trifolium repens)

Niche: Nitrifier. Nectary.

Habitat: Full sun to partial shade. Acidic to neutral pH. Semi-drought tolerant. Grows in a variety of soil types.

Notable Products: Leaves and flowers used in teas.

Red Alder Tree Guild:

(Polycultures: Permaculture Activist Magazine February 2013, Eric Toensmeier)

1. Red Alder (Alnus rubra):

Niche: Large Tree. Nectary/Pollen Production. Nitrifier. Wind-break

Habitat: Prefers full sun to light shade, dry and wet soils. Prefers a neutral pH

Notable Products: Wood

2. Chinese Yam (Dioscorea polystachya/Dioscorea batatas):

Niche: Herbaceous twining vine.

Habitat: Full sun – light shade. Moist soil. 6.1-7.8 pH

Notable Products: Large edible tubers, smaller aerial tubers.

3. Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus):

Niche: Groundcover. Nitrifier. Insect attractant.

Habitat: Average water needs. Full sun. A variety of soil types.

Notable Products: Nectar. Nitrate nodules.

4. Elephant Garlic (Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum)

Niche: Herbaceous

Habitat: Direct Sun. Loamy soil. Average water needs

Notable Products: Large, mild-tasting bulbs

5. Kurrat Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum):

Niche: Herbaceous Layer. Prefers direct sun with well drained soil

Habitat: Woodland garden sunny edge; Dappled Shade; Hedgerow NOT native to the USA.

Notable Products: Flowers, leaves, and bulb are edible.

6. Ramps: (Allium tricoccum)

a.k.a. Wild Leeks. Early Spring vegetable. Grows well in the shade.

Niche: Shade-loving herbaceous perennial

Habitat: Rich woods and bottoms, preferring slopes and streamsides. Usually in beech and maple woods. Garden dappled shade; Cultivated Beds

Notable Products: Edible leaves and bulbs.

7. Camas (Camassia quamash):

Niche: Herbaceous

Habitat: Direct sun. Average to wet soil. A variety of soil types.

Notable Products: Edible roots. Nectary

NOTE: The Red Alder is not native to New Jersey, USA. If the user is in the east coast USA, the Black Locust trees may be a good substitute. However, Black locust trees are prone to be killed by the black locust. So one could use a couple of false indigo bushes instead.

NOTE: The Red Alder takes some time to grow as a living trellis for the Chinese Yam. For a few years before the Alder creates significant shade, the inoculated Birdsfoot Trefoil will make a good groundcover that puts nitrogen into the ground. The Elephant Garlic, Kurrat Leeks, and Birdsfoot Trefoil require full sun to grow well, so these are perfect initial plantings until the Alder grows. The Chinese Yams can take a few years to develop large underground tubers but will produce aerial tubers right away so there will be a small crop as the main crop is developing. As the Alder begins to produce heavy shade, the garlic and leeks will slow down production and the Ramps and Camas, which were already being harvested, will take over as they are able to grow in the shade. As the Birdsfoot Trefoil dies back, the nitrogen production will continue with the Alder.

Mulberry Tree Guild

(From Perennial Polycultures Ethan Roland, Mai Frank Forest Garden Immersion Course 2009.)

1. Black Mulberry (Morus nigra)

Niche: Food and coppicable branch and leaf matter.

Habitat: Full to partial sun. Slightly acidic – basic soil pH.

Notable Products: Fruit, Leaves (leaves must be new and boiled for 20 minutes)

2. Seaberry (Hippophae rhamnoides).

Niche: Nitrogen Fixer (if inoculated with actinorhizal bacteria)

Habitat: Full sun to light shade. 5.5 - 8.5 pH, permenantly moist but well drained soil.

Notable Products: berries, nectary, charcoal, soap, dye.

3. Hardy kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa, Actinidia arguta, and Actinidia kolomikta)

Niche: Vine, produces fruit.

Habitat: Light: Full Sun (preferable)/Shade: Tolerates moderate shade /Moisture: Medium /pH: 5.1-8.5

Notable Products: Fruit. HIGHLY INVASIVE.

4. Russian Comfrey - Symphytum uplandicum

(Bocking 14): 6' - 8' root depth, spreads by rhizomes, sterile seeds.

Russian Comfrey (Bocking 4): 8' - 10' root depth, spreads by rhizomes, sterile seeds. Niche: Dynamic Accumulator, Shelter for insects, nectary, Green mulch.

Habitat: Light: Prefers full sun Shade: Tolerates light shade (about 50%), moist but well drained soil.

Moisture: Medium, some species can be a bit more drought tolerant pH: tolerates a wide range (6.5-8.5)

Notable Products: Sheep and chicken food.

5. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra)

Niche: N fixer, dynamic accumulator, insect nectary

Habitat: Light: Prefers full sun Shade: Tolerates partial shade. Russian Licorice tolerates more shade.

Moisture: Prefers moist soils. American Licorice can tolerate more dry conditions once established. pH: 6.1-7.8 (see tcpermaculture.com for more details)

Notable Products: Edible shoots and roots.

6. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

Niche: Herbaceous Dynamic accumulator, nectar producer.

Habitat: Shade: Most species tolerate light shade, although some can tolerate moderate shade. Moisture: Dry to medium-moisture soils pH: 3.5-8.5 (see tcpermaculture.com for more details)

Notable Products: Edible leaves(in the Spring), roots, flowers and seeds.

7. Gold star (Chrysogonum virginianum)

Niche: Ground cover. Flowers April-June

Habitat: Light Requirement: Part Shade Soil Moisture: Moist Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8) Soil Description: Moist, but well-drained, to drier soils.

Notable Products: Nectar, pollen

8. Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)

Niche: invertabrate shelter, nectary, aromatic.

Habitat: Full sun to partial shade. Neutral to basic pH.

Notable Products: Edible greens and roots.

King Strofaria – Niche: Fungi, consumes dead wood. Habitat: Forest Floor, wood chip beds Notable Products: Edible mushroom caps (cooked).

Mulberry Tree Guild #2

1. Mulberry Tree (Morus nigra):

Niche: Food and coppicable branch and leaf matter

Habitat: Full to partial sun. Slightly acidic – basic soil pH.

Notable Products: Fruit, Leaves (leaves must be new and boiled for 20 minutes)

2. Russian Comfrey: (Symphytum uplandicum)

(Bocking 14): 6' – 8' root depth, spreads by rhizomes, sterile seeds.

Russian Comfrey (Bocking 4): 8' – 10' root depth, spreads by rhizomes, sterile seeds.

Niche: Dynamic Accumulator, Shelter for insects, nectary, Green mulch.

Habitat: Light: Prefers full sun Shade: Tolerates light shade (about 50%), moist but well drained soil.

Moisture: Medium, some species can be a bit more drought tolerant pH: tolerates a wide range (6.5-8.5)

Notable Products: Sheep and chicken food.

3. Dill (Anethum graveolens ):

Niche: Herbaceous Annual, Insect attractant,

Habitat: Disturbed soil.

Notable Products: Aromatic herb. Used in soups, sauces and preserving cucumbers.

4. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum ):

Niche: Perennial flowering herb.

Habitat: Gardens, disturbed soil, Full sun to light shade.

Notable Products: Edible flowers and young leaves.

5. Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Niche: nitrifier, nectary.

Habitat: Full sun – Partial Shade, acidic to neutral pH.

Notable Products: Leaves and flowers can be used in teas. Use caution.

6. Marigolds (Tagetes):

Niche: Herbaceous beneficial aromatic

Habitat: Disturbed soil, sun, water

Notable Products: Flowers.

¹² To our knowledge, this has not been proven yet.